SeedBroadcasting from Ridgway Seed Library

SeedBroadcast heard the local dig that there was a new Seed Library open in Ridgway, Colorado. During our Rocky Mountain Tour we took this as a sign to reach out and make a stop at the Ridgway Public Library to celebrate the newly opened Seed Library.

On Route along the San Juan Skyway with snow packed peaks in the background.

The Ridgway Seed Library was initiated by Kristen Moberg, Driector of Rigdway Public Library. She became excited about the idea when she heard about seed libraries and thought this would add an important program to serve the local community.

Kirsten gathered and organized information about seed libraries, ordered books and journals on seed saving, and put together a very simple system for the actual seed library. The seeds are currently in small 10” x 10” box and include a few donations of vegetable seeds from Botanical Interest and a very interesting stone fruit, Hermosa Golden Spotted Apricot from Durango.

The check out system is very simple: a big 3-ring binder with membership forms that patrons fill out with their information and note the seeds they are “borrowing.” On this form there is also notation space for the grower to include information about how the seed variety grew, what type of soil, pests, etc.

This form of record keeping could be great way to share information about these varieties as they adapt to local econiches and help the whole community build a viable living seed collection. This is a huge conversation among the high-altitude growers: what will grow here and how can gardeners and farmers produce food for the whole region.

While SeedBroadcast was visiting the library, the local community garden coordinator along with community gardeners stopped by to see the Mobile Seed Story Broadcasting Station and talk seeds.

Chris Lance the Ridgway community garden coordinator showing us the “To Do List and General Communication” binder.

The Ridgway Community Garden hopes to continue promoting and growing community and rental plots. While we were visiting conversations emerged about developing partnerships with the seed library and developing educational programming to enable seed to seed gardens in Ridgway.

Ridgway was lush and green with many marvelous dandelions feeding the bees and accumulating minerals for the topsoil. While we were there we met Danny Powers, head of the city parks maintenance. He was proud to tell us that they have been running their parks organically, with no herbicides or pesticides, for quite some time….and trying to demonstrate this for neighboring communities.